Preliminary field tests for collision avoidance navigation of an autonomous surface vehicle

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) and navigation techniques for autonomously performing various tasks in marine environments with a minimization of human operator interference. The ASV platform mounts a variety of sensors and devices, and it is designed on a catamaran hull form to provide more stability in maneuvering motions. Intelligent autonomy capabilities including waypoint tracking and collision avoidance approaches are fundamentally implemented in an on-board system, for improving the autonomy levels of the ASV. Specifically, potential risk areas where a likelihood of collision between the maneuvering ASV and a static obstacle exists are configured on a predicted trajectory of the vehicle. Then, a collision-free path is generated by a Dubins curve approach considering the turning radius of the vehicle. To demonstrate the performance and feasibility of the developed ASV, preliminary field tests were carried out in inland water environments, and the results are discussed.